The most pertinent prior art known to the applicant includes a commercially available fire extinguishing system manufactured by Chemetron Fire Systems Division of Chemetron Corporation and which is utilized by the assignee of the instant application in certain of its products as Part No. 5G1590.
There are many environments of widely varying character requiring fire extinguishing or suppression systems wherein provision is made for alternately activating the system manually as, when a person in the environment observes the existence of a fire or automatically, as, for example, when a sensor in the area protected by the system detects some condition in that area that is associated with a fire. Systems of this sort are employed in, for example, restaurants, industrial applications where a fire possibility exists, vehicles, etc. Typically there will be provided a vessel for containing the fire extinguishing material which is provided, at its outlet, with a flow control device such as a valve, a diaphragm piercing device, or both for normally closing the vessel to maintain the fire extinguishing material therein but operable to release the extinguishing material when needed. Various means have been employed to direct fire extinguishing material exiting the outlet to the area to be protected.
Sensors are employed in the area to be protected to control actuation of the flow control apparatus and in the general vicinity of the area to be protected, there is typically employed a manual actuator for the flow control which can have a manual force applied thereto by a person in the vicinity of the area to be protected upon the observation of a fire therein.
In the case of the above identified prior art, the system is employed in a vehicle, and specifically, in the engine compartment therein. The flow control of the system is activated in response to movement of a linkage which in turn is operated by a pneumatic cylinder in response to a pneumatic pressure signal generated by a sensing system. In addition, in the prior art system, there is provided a cable extending from the linkage which may be pulled upon the observance of a fire to activate the system.
While these systems have proved quite satisfactory, there occasionally arises binding or slippage in the cable system which may interfere with ease of activation. In some cases, improper adjustment of the cable can also impede proper activation.